How to Prevent Dental Problems

Whew!  Tax season is finally over for another year.  I hope that Uncle Sam was good to everyone this year, and you all got refunds this time.  If you did get a refund, spend some of it on yourself – you deserve it!  If you didn’t get a refund, take care of yourself anyway.

Which brings me to this month’s topic – PREVENTION.  There is no greater gift you can have than good health.  And today’s science is proving over and over that you can’t be healthy without a healthy mouth.  The dental problems in your mouth can influence the health of your entire body, and sometimes what we see in your mouth is an indicator of health problems elsewhere which need to be addressed.

3 Dental Care Tips to Prevent Dental Problems

• Dental Care at Home
  This is probably the most important part of your preventive dentistry regimen.  What you do at home on a regular basis can prevent most dental problems.  On the other hand, what you don’t do at home on a regular basis, can cause or contribute to lots of dental problems – and overall health problems as well. So do your part, and keep problems to a minimum.
• Routine Dentist Visit
  A regular dentist visit allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of your dental care regimen at home, coach you as needed to improve what you are doing, and check to see if there are any other conditions which need attention.  It’s important that you keep these regular preventive visits at our recommended interval.  As with most dental health problems, early detection is the key to successful and inexpensive treatment.  This is where we really can help.  By the time you realize you have a dental problem, it usually is a significant one.  So please, keep your regular preventive visits!
• Control Potentially Destructive Influences
  This includes wearing protective mouth guards while playing sports, not chewing ice, limiting highly acidic foods and beverages, protective appliances to prevent tooth damage from clenching and grinding, and night wear appliances for those who snore excessively or suffer from sleep apnea.

Remember, there is nothing we can do that you cannot “undo” by not following proper preventive procedures.  It makes us feel good to see our hard work last for a long time.  Let’s work together to keep your dental problems to a minimum!